It is possible to read a gay subtext into Oscar Wilde’s “Importance of Being Earnest.” For one thing, “Earnest” was slang for homosexual in late 19th century England, and a collection of homosexual verse entitled “Love in Earnest” was written by an Oxford classmate of Wilde.

Literature is as vital to our lives as food and shelter. Stories and poems help us work through the challenges we face, from everyday irritations to loneliness, heartache, and death. Literature is meant to mix it up with life. This website explores how it does so.

Please feel free to e-mail me [rrbates (at) smcm (dot) edu]. I would be honored to hear your thoughts and questions about literature.